Oiling device for conveyer chains



Fe. 5, 1935. E. B. KERST Er AL 1,990,408

` OILING DEVICE FOR CONVEYER CHAINS l -Filed March 24, 1955 umili latentecll Fel). 5, 1935 delphia,` Pa., assignors to Proctor & Schwartz, Incorporated, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation i q `ipplicatien March 24., 1933, serial No. 662,612

'5 claims. (cl. 18s- 2)v This invention relates tonew and useful improvements in devices'forioilingthejoints of conveyor chains and the likefand has particular relation to devices of this character wherein dis- 8 charge of the oilis effected by a plunger actuated by the mechanism to be lubricated. h

The principal object'ofjthe invention is to provide a device of the character described wherein the oil vor other lubricant discharged from the device immediately upon, actuation ofthe plunger and deposited at the chain or conveyer joint on each side of its roller.

Another object of the invention isto provide a device of the character set Vforth which" willdischarge a uniform quantity of oils irrespective of changes in the viscosity of the lubricating medium. j f

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the generall character described wherein the quantity of oil `discharged by the device h, to the joints of 4conveyers and chains may be ad# justed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of vthe stated vcharacter wherein an equal quantity of oil or other'lubricantis deposited on each jointat adjacent sidesof the roller, whereby both sides of the conveyerjmay beequallylubri cated. J

A more specific object of the inventionisto provide a devicev of the jcharacter set forth "having novel oil discharge conduits in order'that the amount of oil therein willbe properly proportioned to the amount deliveredby the plunger, thus enabling a-drop of `oilto be discharged onto the joints of the `chain without fail instantly. upon movement'of the piston.'` i h f `These and other objects and the details of construction of the invention are set j forth herein- .l after and disclosed in 'the'j accompanying drawiginwhicmf A H Figure-1 is a view in elevation showing thedevice contemplated by the present invention oper` atively"V associated with a chain or conveyer; Y

Fig. 2 is an enlarged'fragmentary view in sec-.- tion vertically through the central portion of the device disclosedinfig'.` 1; l Fig. 3 is a view in section on line 3 3, Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is `an enlarged `view in section on line 4-4, Fig. 1. N Y

Heretofore, automatic oiligfjdevices for lubri-f eating thejoiritsof chains' and conveyers, have for the most part Acontrolleddischarge. ofthe lubricant by means orfn'eedle o1i`other'type`valves, and considerableldiiiiculty hasbeenf present' to `bersoine and expensive.

properly adjust said valves to allow the minimum quantity of oil for .each link of thechain or conveyerto be discharged from the device. For the most part, these devices comprise a separate valve for each sideofthe chain, rendering them cum- In addition, it is practically impossible to predeterminedly'adjustor set devices of this character so thata uniform quantity of oil is discharged at all times', sincechanges in the viscosity of the oil or other lubricant as a result of seasonal or "other iiuctuations in tern-v perature require constant adjustment of the device. Furthermore, the location of deposit of the lubricant on the chain, and the exact` moment of discharge cannot be properly controlled, for

example, the amount of oil which is to be disv charged at each stroke of the plunger, is an exceedingly small quantity, and where the quantity of Voil in the discharge conduits is comparatively large, such factors as compression. and capillary attraction prevent vthe oil from being discharged simultaneous with each stroke of the VIt has been found that'by making the discharge conduits of substantially small diameter, sothat the amount of oil in said 'conduitlin' proportion to the amount Vdelivered by the'plunger is not too great, a drop of oil can bedis'charged from said conduit instantly upon the movement of the plunger, and as a result the drop of oil or other lubricant, will be placed on the joints of the chain withoutifail. It will be readily seen that if the amount of ,oil delivered by the stroke of the plunger is exceedingly small and the amount of oil in the discharge conduit relatively large in proportion thereto, this small amount of oil will collect in the discharge. end of the conduit until the drop issufciently big to cause its release therefrom, andas a result might vbe discharged anywhere along ,thelink of a chain `or conveyer.

Referring now' more particularly to thedrawing, successive links of a chain or conveyerf are designated by the reference numeral 1` andv the joints Vthereof Care Vindicated at 2 adjacent each side ofthe rollers 3 which ride upon the customary Achannel orangle 4 supportedA by means of a substantially L-shaped'bracket 5, the upper end of which extends a substantial distance above the vertical web of said channel or angle. 'Inthe present instance the automatic oiling device which is designated generally as at A, comprises a projecting bracket portion 6 arranged to fembrace the upper portion of the bracket 5 and'be secured thereon by. means of a collar 7 and set v'screw' 8. The"automatic oiling device A furtially parallel to the longitudinal axis of travel of the chain or conveyer 1. The portion lof the 5.0. y pivot point 22 ,resultingin the compression of ther comprises a main body portion 9 of substantially cylindrical cross section shape disposed normal with respect to the longitudinal axis of travel of the conveyer as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The vertical body portion of the oiling device A is provided with an axial bore 10 therein, the extreme portions 11 and 12 of which are of relatively larger diameter than'the central portion of said axial bore 10. A piston 13 is slidably mounted within the restricted portion of the axial bore 10 and is provided with an enlarged head` 14 which engages the shoulder vformedby the enlarged portion of the axial 'borell atthe upper end of the body to limit downward movement of said piston 13. In the present instance vthe piston 13 is compressible against the action of a coil` spring 15 disposed intermediate the enlarged head 14 of said piston 13 andalclosurememloer 16 which lis threaded into the upper end ofthe enlarged portion 11 of the axial borev 10in` the body 9.

A second o rlower piston 17 is also mounted in aportion o f'the axial bore l0, and is provided withan enlarged head portion 18 'slidableiin'the enlarged portion 12 of the axial bore 10 and projects beyond the llower end thereof as shown in Fig. 3. 'Ihe piston 171is compressible inwardly or" the body 9' against the action of a spring V20 interposed between the. enlarged head 18 and the shoulder Vformed by the diametrical difference between the central portion of the axial bore 10 andthe enlarged portion 12 thereof. l

In the present instance the piston 17 is 'actuated by means of a lever 21 pivotally mounted at 22 on a bracket 23 formed 'integrally with and extending laterally of the olling vdevice A as shown in Fig. 1. Aroller 24 is rotatably mounted at the opposite end of the pivoted lever 2l and positioned with. respect to the oiling device A so that the horizontal diametric axis thereof is substanlever 21 above the roller 24, is made substantially level as at 25 and is provided with a raised contactelemen't '26'which at all times' engages the lowerend surface 1 9 of the head 18 'of the piston 17. Thus it will be seen that as the roller 24m the lever 2l rides over the chain or conveyer rollers 3, the lever 21 is actuated in a substantially counterclockwise direction about the the piston 17 inwardly ofthe body 9 against the action of the spring 20.

'An inlet port 27 for the oil or other lubricant, is positioned horizontally inthe body 9 and affords communication from a supply pipe 28 connected in any suitable manner to said port .to the axial piston bore 10. In the present instance the relative vertical position of the inlet port 27 with respect to the device is such that when the piston 17 is not depressed by the lever 21, the upper endoi Vsaid piston 17 assumes a position below the port 27,'thus permitting oil toflow therefrom into'the bore 10, and at the same time, issuitably positioned so that lupon"depressio'r'i"inwardly of the body of said piston 17, communication of said port 27 to the axial channel 10 is cut oi to the stem of the piston. A discharge channel or port"29 extends horizontally in a direction Ydiametrically opposite tothe inlet port 27 and af- Ifords communication with the axial-,borfel' to the exterior'of the device. Itl shouldbe 'noted that the relative vertical position ofthe .port 29 is such that communication of the discharge port 29 with the axial bore' lois normally 'shut oir by the piston 13 when in its lowermost or normal position, eiected by expansion or" the coil spring 15, and at the same time is suitably positioned so that upon vertical upward compression movement of the piston 13 against said spring 15, communication is established between the axial bore 10 and the discharge port 29. The outer end of the discharge port v29 is normally closed by means of a threaded member 30.

Discharge conduits 31 of substantially small `diameter and of the character and type generally referred ,to-as capillary tubes, are connected at each side of thedischarge port 29 and extend downwardly therefromas shown in Fig. 3, being `supported'by arms vor brackets 32 and positioned fromwill be accurately positioned on the joints inr the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The usual supply. tankvorreservoir 3 3 is provided `and the'other iendlof `the supply conduit 28 is secured thereto as at 34, a valve .or v other control means 35. being provided--to permit=adjustment of` ,the quantityof lubricant permitted to'pass from the Yreservoir .33 vtl'irough the conduit 28 to thelautomaticoiling' devicelA. s

In operation of the'devicfe the tankorreservoir 33 is filled with oil or other lubricant andthe valve 35l is adjustedfor the proper quantity of oil desired to pass through the lsupply conduit 2 8. The oil or lubricant passes tothe oiling device by means of gravity and is also aided by a suction force created by the downward stroke of thev lower plunger 17, thus lling the inlet port kor chamber 27 and' that portion of the axial bore 10, residing intermediate the adjacent ends of the plungers 1 3 and 17 respectively. ,On the upward stroke of th lower plunger 1 7 eected by the passage of 'the roller 24 overthei chain roller 3 and acting through the contact member .or Ifulcrum 26, the said piston 17 shuts ofi communication of vthe inletV chamber 27 with; the axial bore. 10 and a column of oil ,or lubricant lis trapped betweenthe adjacent heads of the plungers 17 and l3respectively. Continued upward/movement. or inward compression of the lower, kpiston 17 and compression of the column of oil intermediate said piston and the upper piston 13 acts to raise or compress the latter against the action ofthe spring 15, and this 'movement continues until the piston 1 3 is raised suiiiciently to permit the oil thus trapped between the two pistons to,be discharged into the outlet port or chamber29,l whence itfis forced throughthe capillary tubes31 tothe joints 2 of the chain at each sid'e'of4 the roller 3.

In the present instance thefl'eng-th of the piston 13 is adjustable so that'l the length, of the column of oil and consequently the volume Athereof trapped intermediate the adjacent heads. of the pistons 13and 17, may be ,varied to ymeet' particular requirements f or discharge through the .ca-

wardimovement off the.1owerpisten, '17,.; n

The device in the present instance is illustrated as applied to a specic form of )chain and conveyer for the purposes of description, but it should be borne in mind that the device may be readily applicable to chainsand conveyers of numerous types and `construction by merely changing the position of the capillary tubes 3l with respect to the device Aso that discharge of the lubricant will be `deposited in the working joints of the conveyer or chain mechanism, and certain other detail changes may be made in the construction ofthe actuating roller 24 and lever 21 to meet therequirements of a particular installation without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a conveyer chain, of a device operatively associated therewith for automatically oiling said chain, said device comprising a body portion provided with an axial bore, an inlet port and a discharge port `communicating with said bore, a piston mounted in the upper end of the axial bore, the said piston in its normal position preventing communication to the discharge port, a piston mounted in the lower end of said bore and in its normal position affording communication to the axial bore from the ini let port, means operated by the conveyer to` com- `volume-oi. `oil and operable to intermittently discharge simultaneously` a quantity of oil therefrom equal to the quantity displaced by each ac- `tuation of the piston.

2. The combination with a conveyer chain of a device operatively associated therewith for automatically oiling said chain, said device including a discharge port, piston means operable to 'discharge a predetermined quantity of oil 'to said port, and one or more tubes arranged to receive the oil displaced by said piston, said tube or tubes retaining by capillary attraction a static Volume of oil and operable to simultaneously discharge a quantity of oil therefrom equal to the displacement of the piston simultaneously with each actuation thereof.

3. In a device the combination with an intermittently `actuated vfluid pump, of one or'more tubes arranged to receive the fluid displaced byY said pump, said tube or tubes retaining by capillary attraction a static volume of oil and operable to discharge a quantity of oil therefrom equal to the quantity displaced by each actuation of the pump.

4. The combination with a conveyer chain of a device operatively associated therewith for automatically oiling said chain, said device including an intermittently operated pump operable to displace a predetermined quantity of oil, and one or more tubes connected at one end to receive the oil displaced by said pump and having its other end disposed adjacent the chain to be lubricated, said tube or tubes retaining by capillary attraction a static volume of oil and operable to intermittently discharge a quantity of oil therefrom equal to the quantity displaced by each actuation of the pump. Y

5. The combination with a conveyer chain of a device operatively associated therewith for automatically oiling said chain, said device including a discharge port, piston means operable to discharge a predetermined quantity of oil to said port, one or more tubes arranged to receive the oil displaced by said piston, said tube or tubes retaining by capillary attraction a static volume of oil and operable to simultaneously discharge a quantity of oil therefromequal to the displacement of the piston simultaneously with each actuation thereof, and means adjustable at will to vary the quantity of oil displaced by said piston.

EDGAR B. KERST. HERMANN S. BOGATY. 

